Then There Was Two
by Lone Wolfette
Summary: ***Bowery Boys*** The boys start a renovations business and soon find themselves in a house. They discover they're not alone when a couple of the fellas disappear.
1. Chapter 1

**Then There Was Two**

The boys are hanging a sign that says "Mahoney Renovations".   
"Oh, Chief, which one of these screwdrivers is a Philips?" Sach asked, holding up five of them.   
"It's the one that ain't like you: It don't have a flat head," Slip replied, then turned back to the others.   
Sach put the screwdrivers down and stuck his tongue out at Slip while his back was turned, then handed off a screwdriver. "Here, Whitey."   
"Looks good, guys," Slip commented.   
"Slip, you really think people'll ire us to renovate their houses?" Chuck asked.   
"'Course I do," Slip replied.   
"Cuz we work for cheap," Sach interrupted, and received a belting from Slip and his hat. "Oop, not cheap enough, I guess."   
"I oughtta..." Slip said, pulling back to hit Sach again, when the phone rang.   
"I think we got a customer!" Bobby said.   
Slip picked up the receiver. "Hello, Mahoney Renovations. This is Mahoney 'imself. Yes. Hmmmm...? Oh, right away." He hung up the receiver. "Pack the tools, boys, we got our foist job!" 

  
"Well, we're here," Bobby announced, stopping the jalopy.   
"Great, but where's here?" Whitey asked.   
"Ramsdale House, 134 Hillside Road. Yup, we're here," Slip said. "Grap the equipment and follow me."   
"What else?" Sach said, following suit, but instead fell out of the jalopy and into Slip.   
"Watch it or else *you'll* need renovatin'," Slip said.   
"Sorry, Chief," Sach said, then turned back to the jalopy and helped Whitey. "Out of the car, Whitey."   
"This place is pretty creepy lookin'," Chuck commented.   
"Kinda like it's address?" Bobby added.   
"Nah, it just looks that way at night," Slip said.   
Everyone, except Slip, picked up some of the tools, and followed him through the yard.   
"I don't like the looka this place," Sach said.   
"It prob'ly don't like the look of you neither, but it's still here, now c'mon and let's go inside," Slip said. He went up on the porch. "No doorbell, guess I'll knock, then." He knocked. No answer. He tried again. Still no answer.   
"M-maybe the ghosts are hard of hearin'," Whitey said.   
Slip pounded on the door.   
Bobby reached around Slip and tried the doorknob. The door creaked open. "It was open all the time."   
"I knew that. I was just testin' ya," Slip covered.   
The group piled into the dark house and looked around. The door creaked shut behind them.   
"Who did that?" Sach asked.   
"Prob'ly just the wind," Slip said, searching for a light switch. "If I can find a switch, we can shed some allumination on this subject." He found a swtich, flipped it, and the lights cam on. "See? Nice an' bright an' cheery. Nutin' to be afraid of. Now, put that stuff down and get ta woik."   
"What're you gonna do?" Sach asked.   
"I'm gonna start the tab for this job," Slip replied, then took a seat on the couch.   
"Lazy," Sach commented, then left to join the others.   
"There's somethin' weird about this place," Chuck commented.   
"Very weird," Whitey agreed.   
"Oh you guys're just tryin' to get outta workin'," Sach said.   
"And you wanna work?" Bobby asked.   
"'Course not," Sach said, "but Slip over there ain't gonna let us leave until we do somethin' to improve the looksa this place."   
"Never thought I'd say it, but he's got a point," Bobby said.   
"Sure I do! Now, let's figure out how to improve this place," Sach said.   
"Maybe dust first an' see if it gets rida some of the creepiness," Chuck said..   
"I'm with you," Whitey agreed.   
"Will ya quick yackin' over there an' get to woik?" Slip called out.   
"Yappety, yappety, yappety," Sach said, then pulled a feather duster out of his jacket.   
The others grabbed more dusters and began to dust.   
"This ain't dust, it's layers of dirt on everythin'," Bobby complained.   
Whitey began sneezing.   
Slip rolled his eyes. "Shoulda brought some ear plugs."   
"Fellas, I gotta get some water, I"ll be right back," Whitey said, then went towards the kitchen.   
The others continued dusting. Several minutes passed, but Whitey didn't come back.   
"What's takin' him so long to get some water?" Chuck asked.   
Slip stood up from his spot on the couch. "I'll go receive 'im an' find out if there's food in this place."   
"Oh, good, cuz I'm gettin' hungry," Sach said.   
"You're always hungry," Slip said, then went towards the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway. "Whitey?" He turned back to the others. "Ya sure he came in here?"   
"Yeah, he was gonna get some water," Bobby said.   
"Well, he ain't in there now. Prob'ly escaped out a window," Slip said.   
"Ooh, that Whitey! Wait'll I get my hands on 'im...!" Sach said.   
"No, wait'll *I* get my hands on 'im. Then I'll get my hands on you... sooner if ya don't shuddup!" Slip said, then went back to his perch on the couch.   
"Com'on, Sach, better give us a hand an' let Slip cool down," Bobby said.   
"I wonder if Whitey really snuck outta here," Chuck said.   
"Sure he did," Sach said, then added, "that boy gets scared by his own shadow!"   
Bobby and Chuck exchanged looks, then shook their heads, going back to work.   
"Well, he does," Sach said, poutted, then went back to dusting. 

  
"Now, doesn't that look betta," Slip said. "See what a little dustin' can do."   
"We can see it," Chuck said, brushing himself off.   
"Go outside an' do that! You're makin' the dirt spread in 'ere again," Slip said.   
Chuck went outside. A few minutes passed, but he didn't come back in.   
"It couldn't take that long to clean off, could it?" Bobby said, unsure.   
"I don't know, we'll go check on 'im ta make ya feel betta," Slip said.   
The three went to the front door and looked out.   
"No, Chuck. There ain't even any dirt on the porch," Sach said.   
"This is startin' to get irrigatin'," Slip said. "Foist, Whitey leaves, now Chuck."   
"I'm startin' to wonder if they're not disppearin' cuz they want to," Bobby said.   
"You two are suspicious! Just because this place is prob'ly haunted..." Sach said, then realized what he said. "Haunted!?"   
"Haunted, he says!" Slip said, then laughed. "That's a good one!"   
"He might be right, though, Chief," Bobby said, uneasily.   
"Oh, not you, too," Slip said. "C'mon, Bobby, keep a parallel head about the situation."   
"I'm tryin', Slip, but this place could really be haunted," Bobby said.   
"See? He agrees with me, Chief. So there!" Sach said, then put his arm around Bobby's shoulders. Bobby removed his arm.   
"Fine, fine. You two go ahead an' be scared. Ya know, we still have a job ta do, inspite of havin' two walk out on us. Guess, now I'll have ta do it all myself..." Slip said.   
"Uh, yeah, maybe if we work, we can keep ours minds off this creep show house," Bobby said.   
"I left my mind at Louie's for safe keepin', so I'll stay scared," Sach said.   
"Well, then, brainless, go stand in a corner or som'en an' stay outta our way so we can woik," Slip said.   
Sach poutted, then walked over to a corner of the room and stayed there. He leaned against the wall and folded his arms. The wall spun around and he disappeared.   
"Hey, Slip, how can you be so sure this place ain't haunted? I mean, it could be, it ain't impossible," Bobby said.   
"I'm just tryin' to keep moraley up for the idiot's sake. I am gettin' the necklace of an idea that you could be right, thought," Slip said.   
"I guess we just have to stick together, then," Bobby said. He glanced over to where Sach had been standing. "Slip!"   
"Now, what're ya gettin' excited about?" Slip asked. "I'm tryin' to keep ya calm 'ere..."   
"But, Slip, look!" Bobby said, pointing behind him. "Sach is gone!"   
"Awe, now, you're havin' hallukinations. Sach wouldn't leave us 'ere..." Slip said, then turned. "I don't believe it."   
"*Now* is this place haunted?" Bobby asked.   
"Now... oh, boy," Slip said. "This ain't good." 


	2. Chapter 2

Then There Was Two 

**Then There Was Two -- Part Two**

  
Chuck entered a room set up as a lab. "Oh, wow. Maybe this place isn't haunted, but inhabited." He looked around. "Wish I knew what happened to the rest of the fellas, though."   
A door opened on the far wall and Whitey peaked out. "Chuck?"   
"Whitey!" Chuck exclaimed, then ran over to him. "What happened to you?"   
"I just went into the kitchen... next thing I know, I'm down here. I've been hidin' in this closet for about twenty minutes now," Whitey replied. "What happened to the others?"   
"Last I knew, Slip, Sach, and Bobby were still in the livin' room," Chuck said.   
"Awe, quit you're shovin'!"   
"That sounded like Sach!" Whitey said.   
"Yeah, an' whoever wanted us to join them down here," Chuck said, then added, "back in the closet. Maybe they won't find us an' we can surprise 'em."   
They went in the closet, just as the door to the hall opened. A 'doctor' and three other guys accompanied Sach.   
"Where did the other two boys get to, Stevenson?' the doctor asked.   
"The closet, sir," Stevenson answered, quietly. "I saw one of them come in here abouta minute ago."   
"Lock the closet door, then. That will keep them out of our way," the doctor instructed.   
"Yessir," Stevenson agreed, then went over and locked the door.   
Inside, Chuck tried the knob. "Hey, they locked us in here."   
"So much for surprisin' 'em, then," Whitey said.   
Back in the lab, "What of the other two boys upstairs?" the second thug asked.   
"Keep watch over them. I don't want them spoiling my plans," the doctor said.   
"Hey, doc, I feel fine, see? I don't need to be no patient, I don't have then patience for it!" Sach argued.   
The doctor glared at him for the pun, then smiled. "Now, now, my boy, the procedure will be quick and it won't hurt... much."   
"I was afraid you'd say that," Sach commented. 

  
"I'm tired of this. Let's search the place," Slip said.   
"I'm with you," Bobby agreed.   
"'Course, ya are, ya haven't let me go since Sach disappeared!" Slip said, then shook himself loose of Bobby's grip. "I got a feelin' we ain't the ones in the moosoleum, so I figure there's trap doors and other t'ings like that. All we gotta do is find one of 'em, an' we'll find the others."   
"Let's get lookin', then," Bobby said.   
"Check that wall over there, foist, since that's where Sach vamoosed," Slip said.   
They went over to the corner and checked the wall.   
"It won't budge," Bobby said.   
"Maybe there's a hidden lever or som'en," Slip suggested.   
They searched again and came up empty.   
Slip leaned against the fireplace and rested his arm on the mantle. "Nutin'. I just don't..."   
The wall turned to reveal a hidden hallway.   
"Well, whadya know," Slip said. "C'mon."   
"What else?" Bobby said, and followed him into the hall. 

  
"Can't we talk this over, fellas?" Sach asked. The doctor continued about what he was doing. "Guess not." He paused a beat. "Hey, doc, what're ya plannin' on doin'?"   
"The doctor stopped and smiled again. "You'll see, my boy."   
"Oh," Sach said, then paused. "That don't tell me much."   
The doctor turned to two of his 'orderlies'. "Riley, Schwartz, prepare the table."   
"Are we gonna eat? I hope so, I'm hungry," Sach said. 

  
Chuck slapped his forehead.   
"Poor Sach," Whitey commented.   
"An' poor us, we can't do nothin' to help him," Chuck added. "Com'on, let's keep tryin' at this door. If we work on it enough, we might just get outta here."   
"That or they'll let us out," Whitey said.   
Chuck glared at him.   
"What'd I say?" Whitey asked. 

  
"Wish I'd brung a flashlight or some sunlight, I can't see hardly nutin'," Slip commented.   
"Wish we never came here," Bobby said.   
"Hey, I thought it was a real job. How was I s'posed to know we'd be the main course for a buncha ghosts or som'en?" Slip said.   
"Yeah, just don't go so fast, I can't really see you anyore," Bobby said. 

  
"But, fellas, I ain't tired. I'm hungry, but not tired. I thought we were gonna eat," Sach said.   
Schwartz and Riley did prepare the table: they tied Sach to it.   
"Sir, the other two boys are in one of the secret passageways," Stevenson said, turning away from a monitor.   
"Good, prepare for them," the doctor said.   
"Hey, doc, ya know what?" Sach said. "I don't like you an' I don't think you're even a real doctor, so there! He stuck out his tongue.   
The doctor smiled again, then turned and left the room, followed by his 'orderlies'.   
"Boy, that guy smiles an awful lot," Sach said, then fidgetted on the table. "Gee, I wish they hadn't gone to all this trouble for me. All this just for me, such a waste." 

  
"Oh, Chuck, hurry up, they left Sach alone out there," Whitey said.   
"An' he's talkin' to himself. I've got ears. 'Sides, lock pickin' takes time," Chuck said. 

  
"Slip, there's a light!" Bobby said.   
"I see it, whadya think I'm movin' t'wards," Slip said. "An' get offa my back before I t'row ya *into* the light!"   
Bobby backed off a little. "Sorry, Chief."   
"That's betta," Slip said. 

  
"This would be easier if they'd left the key in the lock," Whitey commented.   
"Oh, com'on, it ain't like I do this for a livin'!" Chuck argued. "Hey, I think the knob's loosenin' up!" 

  
Sach sat as much as he could and looked at the closet door. "Who's there? Whitey?" 

  
"Oh, boy!" Whitey exclaimed. "It's me, Sach, an' Chuck's here, too!" 

  
"Hey, I think I heard voices," Bobby said.   
"You're always hearin' voices, usually your own," Slip said.   
They reached the end of the passageway and looked out the doorway, into... another hallway.   
"Well, if that don't beat all, another hallway," Slip said.   
"Atleast we're prob'ly gettin' closer to findin' the others," Bobby said.   
"Yeah, now we just gotta check every room until we find 'em or whoever else is here," Slip said.   
They began checking every door. 

  
"Just about got it..." Chuck said   
"We'll be out in a minute, Sach!" Whitey said.   
"Hurry up, fellas, these guys've got some pretty bad intentions for me an' I'm still hungry!" Sach said.   
The closet door finally opened and Chuck and Whitey landed on the floor.   
"We're free!" Whitey exclaimed.   
Chuck got up and grabbed Whitey's arm. "Com'on, ya dope."   
They ran over to the table and freed Sach.   
Sach put an arm around each of them. "Thanks, fellas, ya prob'ly saved my life!"   
"We ain't outta the woods yet," Chuck commented.   
Whitey and Sach looked at each other.   
"I didn't know we were in the woods," Sach said.   
Whitey shrugged.   
Chuck rolled his eyes. "Com'on, an' let's go find Slip an' Bobby an' get outta here."   
They went to the door and piled into the hall.   
"Which way?"Whitey asked.   
"Wait a minute!" Sach said. "When the Chief ain't around, I'm in charge. Now... which way?"   
"Let's try this way," Chuck said, then led them down the right side of the hall. 

  
"Where'd those guys go ta?" Slip asked, leaning against the wall.   
"Why don't we take you boys to them?"   
"I think we found the 'ghosts'," Bobby said.   
The doctor and his 'orderlies' stood in the hallway, blocking the other side of it.   
"Routine 4!" Slip said. He and Bobby charged the doctor and his men, but quickly became overcome.   
Sach, Chuck, and Whitey rounded the corner and found the ensuing fight. Chuck and Whitey joined in the fight while Sach acted as referee. 

  
Slip dusted his hands off. "Good woik, boys. It's like I kept tellin' ya this place wasn't haunted, just conjested wit' some goons 'ere."   
"But, Chief..." Sach began.   
"I don't wanna hear it. Ya got me? We'll just tip off the cops unanimously and leave it at that," Slip interrupted.   
"Well, I'm still hungry so instead goin' back ta work, can we go back to renovatin' Louie outta banana splits?" Sach said. Slip belted him with his hat. "What was that for!?" He replaced his cap.   
"For stealin' my last line, that's what for," Slip said, placing his hat back on his head. 

  
The End 

  



End file.
